NBC commissions 'Colosseum'

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"America's Funniest Home Videos" executive producer Vin Di Bona has teamed with NBC for "Comedy Colosseum," a one-hour reality pilot based on the hit Japanese show "Theiromonea."

Hosted by "Saturday Night Live" alum Dean Edwards and British comedian Olivia Lee, the show features comedians vying for a $10,000 prize in an arena in front of a live audience that decides who wins or loses. Each comedian will be judged solely on the laughter of randomly selected and unsuspecting members of the crowd.

" 'Comedy Colosseum' challenges the creativity and talent of our performers like no other show before us," said Di Bona, who is executive producing the pilot with Peter Schankowitz, Al Edgington and Greg Bellon. "It's belly-laugh funny."

Ron de Moraes will direct the pilot for the show, which is based on a format licensed from Tokyo Broadcasting System.